


Like it was yesterday...

by Akashiori



Category: Bleach
Genre: BAMF Kurosaki Ichigo, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 17:57:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18266501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akashiori/pseuds/Akashiori
Summary: When you lost everything and everyone you loved... When you win a war just to lose to life... When there's no forward to go anymore... What do you do?...Well, go backwards of course.





	Like it was yesterday...

The rain heavily rained down from the sky hitting a pale face and washing red out of orange. Honey brown eyes that once were filled with warmth and determination now dully stared forward into nothing, not a trace of emotion in them. Raindrops run down a once tanned face and one couldn't tell if they were tears or just the rain playing cruel tricks. A pile of unmoving bodies littered the ground in peace or not is uncertain. A few faces of the bodies were frozen in horror while others showed a resigned expression, eyes gently closed, as if they expected their inevitable fate for a long time. In the middle of all this stood a relatively young man, with a lean but definitely strong figure, in each hand he was loosely holding a blade. In his right hand he hold a khyber knife while in the other a trench knife. The black blades were proudly glinting in the faded light of the evening. The young man's stature was clad in a black shihakusho that long ago became tattered shreds. The rain still helplessly tried to wash out the dried red liquid from long orange hair, all in vain. Right in front of the form of the young man that had yet to make a movement layed a body of a man, clad in all white, his long brown hair spread on the ground, crazed, unseeing brown eyes staring up at the darkening sky. With a hole in his chest. The body of the couse of everything, the misery of people, the tortured life they lived for so long he could barely remember. The death of his loved ones. The death of everyone. Yet, why wasn't he satisfied?

'It's over...'

Thought the young man, still staring at nothing somewhere far, far away.

' _Ichigo_... '

A fairly young voice of a man called out to him gently from his mindscape. The young man, now named Ichigo didn't react, the only movement he did was to look at the dead body in front of him.

' **What now, King?** '

Another voice that usually was rough and brash now softly asked from Ichigo.

What, indeed. That's a good question. There wasn't really anything that he could do now, was there. Just lay down and die himself. What else there's to do, really? There was nothing and no one anymore. The three worlds in ruins, the enemy dead, his comrades and loved ones dead.. everyone was dead. And here he was standing alone atop a pile of dead bodies, victorious but just as much a looser. He couldn't cry. Not because he didn't want to or because his pride didn't let him. It was only because he already tired out all of his tears a long time ago.

What now, indeed.

' _ **New Master!**_ '

Exclaimed a cheerful childish voice of a little girl suddenly. Immediately Ichigo's eyes hardened and he gripped his swords slightly stronger. He didn't sense anyone. 'Hah, who would you sense, it's not like anyone remained' A devious little voice whispered in the back of his mind but it's not the time for grieving. Someone just get close to him without being sensed by him. The voice insistently called out again.

' ** _Master! Masteer!_** '

Ichigo looked around suspiciously, scanning his surroundings (and oh, god, everything's **red** , **red** , **red, red** ), ready to attack at the slightest movement.

' _ **Down here, Master!**_ '

And that's when he saw it. Beside the body of Aizen Sousuke layed a pale purple orb innocently. And it called out to him. The hōgyoku.

 _'I think it's trying to communicate with you, considering you defeated it's old master._ '

Tensa Zangetsu said, seeing as Ichigo didn't move or react in any way to the situation.

'So it does have a consciousness. I'm a little surprised.'

 **'At least we should find out what does it want.** '

Ichigo hesitated for a moment but then stepped forward and bent down to pick up the orb. Instantly when he touched it, it engulfed him in a light pink light and he found himself in his mindscape. He stood on one of the lucky remained skyscraper and looked around. The sky was dark gray with a few thunders and lightnings disturbing it from time to time. His mindscape didn't change much in the years except that the skyscrapers weren't sideways anymore and most of them were in ruins with some grave here and there.(Insert sarcasm here)

'I wonder what does that say about me' Thought Ichigo with a bitter half smile.

" **Hey ya, King!** "

Exclaimed a white figure walking towards him. He stopped in front of Ichigo revealing an exact bleached copy of himself.

"Shiro, what is going on? And where's Tensa?"

Asked Ichigo with a slightly panicked voice at not seeing his other part, while looking around. Shiro just rolled his eyes in exasperation.

" **What do ya think? Bein' dramatic as always** "

He said as he pointedly looked behind Ichigo. He turned around to see the all black form of Tensa Zangetsu standing on a flag pole, his eyes closed as his black cloak dramatically moved around in the wind. Ichigo just sweatdropped. He already got used to his zanpakuto spirits odd quirks.

"Tensa, did you bring me here? What's wrong?"

Ichigo asked, having no idea what's going on. Tensa Zangetsu just shook his head. Ichigo raised an eyebrow in confusion then turned and looked at Shiro. He raised his arms in a ''i don't know'' gesture and shrugged.

" **Nah**."

Ichigo now furrowed his brows in suspicion. If it wasn't any of them that bring him here then...

"What-"

But before he could voice any of his concerns something crushed into his legs sending him to the ground. He didn't even have time to be alerted as the weight on his legs bounced back up straight into his face.

" _ **Hi, Master!**_ "

Big baby blue eyes stared into his honey brown ones. He looked at Tensa but seeing as his eyes were closed he turned to Shiro. He was standing not so far away from him his arms folded, looking at him and this... little girl?

"Okay, what."

Ichigo asked incredulously. Shiro sighed a long suffering sigh and walked over to them. He picked up the little girl from the back of her collar and held her in the air. It was obvious he was annoyed with her.

 **"Hold yo' horses girly**."

The little girl only huffed at Shiro and blow out a strand of purple hair out of his eyes. Shiro put her down and she dusted down invisible dirt from her pink kimono. Then she turned to him and sent a beaming smile in his direction.

" _ **What is your desire, Master? Hōgyoku want to make Master happy!**_ "

Ichigo winced at the high volume of her voice. He was too used to the silence when they were hiding during the war. Then suddenly what the little girl was actually saying finally hit him.

"You... You're the Hōgyoku?"

The little girl's- the Hōgyoku's only answer was an excited nod and a cheerful smile.

" _ **Old Master was a little scary but he was lonely too so Hōgyoku wanted to help, make him happy. But Old Master wasn't strong enough for Hōgyoku's power and he became scarier... But Hōgyoku knows that New Master is strong, stronger than Old Master and way kinder and Hōgyoku wants to make New Master even happier! Hōgyoku wants to make New Master's dream come true!**_ "

The Hōgyoku went on and on and it was actually amusing that she was able to tell all that with one breath. Ichigo looked down and pondered on what the Hōgyoku said.

'A dream... do I even have something like that?'

Tensa finally opened his eyes and he shared a look with Shiro. Ichigo was falling back in depression again. In the last years it wasn't as bad as when he lost his father and sisters but they had a suspicion that it was because Ichigo didn't think of anything other than the fights. Even when his comrades were falling like flies he focused on the war and even if he wanted to mourn them properly he didn't have the time. The remaining ones barely survived day by day as the attacks got stronger and crueler and Ichigo had a whole bunch of people to protect all alone. In the end only Kyoraku, Kisuke, Tensai, Rukia, Rangiku and Toshiro remained. But slowly, as Ichigo was captured by Aizen, they lost hope and their resolve to fight broke leaving them dead when Ichigo somehow got away. That was when all hell broke. Ichigo went straight for Aizen's head.

"I... " Ichigo started but didn't quite know how to continue.

" _ **You want to see them, right?**_ "

Hōgyoku said with an innocent expression. Ichigo snapped up his head. What did this...thing just said? How dare she... Anger started to well up in his chest but he pressed it down. No. Bad. Calm down. Calm down.

"What do you mean?"

Ichigo asked in a dangerously low voice. Does this thing making fun of him? Making fun of his friends deaths? In the corner of his eyes he saw Shiro's hand twitch towards his sword and Tensa frowning disapprovingly.

" _ **What do you think about time travel?**_ "

All three of them froze and blinked at the little girl in front of them.

"W **H** _A_ T **?** _!_ "


End file.
